to think that an election on the 12th December is a bad idea because it will affect Christmas at primary schools?

[chomalungma]

How many Christmas plays will be on on that day?

I am sure some will be able to be altered - but it's a really crappy time to close a school for voting when there are parties, school plays and the end of term atmosphere.

There are other reasons as well - but this is just one that may not have been thought about.

Im sure the schools will consider moving the Christmas plays... Or who knows, maybe Boris will find out this horrifying level of upheaval and change the date...

As for people going out after work, perhaps they would vote before work if possible. Or maybe make the effort to squeeze the time somewhere.

It's maybe a tactic to stop idiots voting 😂😅

My immediate thought was that the 12th dec could affect students voting patterns depending on when they break up for Christmas

That, and the colder weather is likely to keep older voters away from the polling stations.

I'm not a political expert but I'm going to wager that for various reasons we won't have a GE on that date

I agree with you OP.

Labour are abstaining on Monday so it probably won’t happen. School nativities are safe- phew.

Christ almighty, if the Tories stay in power, there won't be any funds for future Nativity plays.

@chomalungma

YABU.

The election booths/places where you can vote, will be open from 7am til 10pm.

Anyone moaning they 'can't make it' because parties, Nativity plays, Christmas shopping...etc...... needs to get a grip, and is probably better off not voting anyway, as they are clearly scatty and disorganised, and can't be trusted to make a good decision.....

Slightly thread derailing, but I don’t know why we still need elections to be on a Thursday.
I know there were various reasons for this, but nothing that’s still relevant in the 21st century.

Turnout would probably be improved if they were held at the weekend.

This thread is golden

If it happens, turnout will be low.

1. Cold and dark. Lots of fairweather voters won't turn out, especially if they don't have a car.
2. People will be busy in the run up to Christmas, with shopping, parties etc. All very well to say change the date, not everybody will be able to. When I was a school governor we got terrible stick the year the Head made a late change to the date of the Christmas concert. Parents had booked time off and couldn't change it.
3. Who's going to open the door after dark to canvassers and stand there listening to them while all the heat wafts out of the house? Who's going to canvass in the dark?

Low turnout tends to favour the Tories, but I'm sure that hasn't figured in Johnson's thinking at all.

Our school is a polling station and I've just checked the date of the nativity...yep, 12th December! I'm sure they could rearrange it but I doubt the GE will happen anyway.

I've actually seen the point about sufficient venues being made a few times. Schools make up whatever percentage and they may be less inclined to want to get involved. Can they be forced?

@MintyMabel

'The colder weather will keep the older people from going to the polling stations.'

WTF?

Just when I thought I'd heard everything on here!

Most polling stations are within walking distance of where people live. And if an election in December means the cold weather will 'stop older people going to vote,' the older people have WAY more to worry about than voting! How on earth do you think the older people survive in he winter if they can't/don't go out when it's cold???

I’d sooner vote in a general election than sit through a nativity play, although I do hope I don’t have to do either.

How on earth do you think the older people survive in he winter if they can't/don't go out when it's cold

The paths are icy, It's slippy. There are older people who do worry about walking outside when it's like that in case they fall and break a bone.

Of course, if you have your own transport, it helps.

It's one day.
Some schools will have broken up, not all schools are polling stations, none are around here.
They have enough time to arrange another day if it clashes.
The world won't end, if we don't get "away in a manger" on the 12th.

WTF

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love sent to me...a general election 🎄🎄

Bearing in mind that none of the promised dates around the Bexit Omnishambles has actually been met, and that Boris's latest threat is not within his power to fulfill, it would be rash for anybody to believe him.

Surely he said he'd "die in a ditch" before now?

Or are we back to "31st October, do or die?"

Did he specify which year?

And why postal voting isn't now mandatory is beyond me.